It’s honorable to concede that “less” is the right path forward, but where will it come from? You can’t shave five minutes off everything. Chances are, some activity will have to walk the plank. After all, if your sacrifice doesn’t hurt, it is not working.
Yes, sure, start with the obvious time-wasters. The news shortcuts in your browser you just tap on because they are there. The endless feed of Youtube subscriptions with more videos than you could ever watch. But once the frills have been trimmed, where will you reach next?
Sometimes, it helps to ask what the less is for. Not always its own sake. If I want to be an author, I must write books. If I want to be a reader, I must turn pages. As soon as I conclude those activities are more important to me than, say, collecting Pokémon cards, I can cut back significantly on the latter—the sacrifice will still hurt, but at least it will be made with open eyes.
It never gets easier, this question. But if you sit with it when you need it, you’ll always find yet another answer. Where is the less? Keep subtracting so you can add to what matters.
